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R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention because of Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the group released its critically acclaimed debut album, Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed by subsequent acts such as Nirvana and Pavement as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, catapulting it to international fame, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M.'s 1994 release, Monster, was a return to a more rock-oriented sound, but still continued its run of success. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. Its 1996 release, New Adventures in Hi-Fi, though critically acclaimed, fared worse commercially than expected. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Buck, Mills, and Stipe continued the group as a trio. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success, despite having sold more than 85 million records worldwide and becoming one of the world's best-selling bands of all time. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. R.E.M. disbanded amicably in September 2011, announcing the split on its website. Label(s) * I.R.S. * Warner Brothers Genre(s) * Rock * Pop * Alternative RIYL Band Members * Bill Berry * Peter Buck * Mike Mills * Michael Stipe * Nathan December * Buren Fowler * Peter Holsapple * Barrett Martin * Scott McCaughey * Bill Rieflin * Ken Stringfellow * Joey Waronker Includes Members of * The Young Fresh Fellows * The Minus 5 * The Posies * Walt Mink * Big Star *The Bells *Chainsuck *KMFDM *Ministry *1000 Homo DJs *Pigface *Revolting Cocks *Swans * Screaming Trees * Mad Season * the dBs * Hindu Love Gods * Tuatara Band Biography R.E.M. is one of the biggest alternative bands out there, and they're still going strong after 26 years, although they seem to be having a case of diminishing returns critically, though not amongst their fan base or popularity-wise. With the medical-related Departure of Bill Berry (and before), they've expanded and gotten much larger, though the core band remains. Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck have formed The Minus 5, who have been known to open for R.E.M. sometimes. Discography Albums * Murmur * Reckoning * Fables Of The Reconstruction * Lifes Rich Pageant * Document * Green * Out Of Time * Automatic For The People * Monster * New Adventures In Hi-Fi * Up * Reveal * Around The Sun * Dead Letter Office * Eponymous * R.E.M.: Singles Collected * The Best Of R.E.M. * In The Attic * In Time * Succumbs * Pop Screen * Tourfilm * This Film Is On * Parallel * Roadmovie * Perfect Square * In View EPs * Chronic Town Singles Appears On Compilations * Future Soundtrack For America *Live On Letterman Soundtracks Mix CDs * Plastic Music Exchange 2006 - Djerrid Radio Shows * Blue Jam Series 1 Episode 6 * Blue Jam Series 1 Episode 1 * Blue Jam Series 2 Episode 5 * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 8: Chris develops a taste for chocolate starfish * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 4 * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 21: Including international tannoy contributions from Awilbi Faywed, Aheffbin Fayed and Babayev Rijboerdie - and more unsuspecting interviewees * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 18 * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 16 * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 15: Another hour of dangerously anarchic comedy * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 13: God Bless Peter Baynham * Chris Morris Music Show Episode 12 * GLR Show Year End Highlights January 3, 1992 Further Reading * Wikipedia Page References Category:Musical groups established in 1980 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2011 Category:Musical groups from Georgia Category:American rock music groups Category:Alternative Rock groups Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:Rhino Records artists Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Musical trios Category:Musical quartets Category:I.R.S. Records artists